BYD Seagull

[Verbl Kint]

just test drove the seagull. bigger than i expected there it is next to my city hatchback. but cabin feels noticeably narrower than the honda. it's a very short car but the wheels are pushed all the way to the corners so the wheelbase is a respectable 2500mm, similar to jazz, ecosport, etc (city hatch is 2600mm). boot space is really limited

the in-screen a/c controls are stupid AF

acceleration from standstill is very good, better than nissan kicks

perfectly acceptable as a city car. but not viable for tarlac-to-manila round trips

oh one more thing. the test drive unit was parked outside but it wasn't a super hot day (cloudy). the seagull's a/c took forever to start cooling

Thanks for the mini-review. I had actually thought the Seagull was the size of a Picanto.

I rode in a Tang recently on a hot day and the AC was actually pretty good. I wonder if the Seagull has a lower spec climate control system.


Btw, how did the door sound when you closed it? Is the build quality of the Seagull also good up close?

I was actually astonished with how good the Tang's was but that's a far more expensive car.

[Vodka]

Thanks for the mini-review. I had actually thought the Seagull was the size of a Picanto.

I rode in a Tang recently on a hot day and the AC was actually pretty good. I wonder if the Seagull has a lower spec climate control system.


Btw, how did the door sound when you closed it? Is the build quality of the Seagull also good up close?

I was actually astonished with how good the Tang's was but that's a far more expensive car.

everything about the car felt normal (including the door thud). nothing stood out as being cheap and nasty (can't say the same about the donfeng nanobox). but of course what's going to really bite you (and what you really can't assess at the showroom) is the quality of the internals. things are going to break, some sooner than later like a/c

lemme elaborate a bit more on the a/c. test drive unit didn't have tint so that made the cabin accumulate more heat. the a/c was blowing hot/warm air for like 2 minutes straight (it was on max cool, recirc on). even cars with weaker a/c like jimny start blowing cool air almost immediately i.e. if you put your hand on the vent you could definitely feel cool air, not so w/ the seagull which kept blowing warm air for 2mins maybe more

the question is how painful would it be to repair something like the a/c when it breaks after the 6yr warranty. coz you got no choice you gotta keep an EV for a long time, the resale value on these things is going to be garbage hehe

[LOLZ]

everything about the car felt normal (including the door thud). nothing stood out as being cheap and nasty (can't say the same about the donfeng nanobox). but of course what's going to really bite you (and what you really can't assess at the showroom) is the quality of the internals. things are going to break, some sooner than later like a/c

lemme elaborate a bit more on the a/c. test drive unit didn't have tint so that made the cabin accumulate more heat. the a/c was blowing hot/warm air for like 2 minutes straight (it was on max cool, recirc on). even cars with weaker a/c like jimny start blowing cool air almost immediately i.e. if you put your hand on the vent you could definitely feel cool air, not so w/ the seagull which kept blowing warm air for 2mins maybe more

the question is how painful would it be to repair something like the a/c when it breaks after the 6yr warranty. coz you got no choice you gotta keep an EV for a long time, the resale value on these things is going to be garbage hehe

Maybe they had eco mode engaged ? i think some vehicles also reduce A/C output when it is engaged.

[dr. d]

i still find it scare-y, purchasing chinese new technology...

[carxynogen]

Ganito din kaya katibay built-quality nyan?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=twyw8UdsWnY

Similar with this is Cybertruck/Ford F-150 vs Hilux door slam test
- YouTube
- YouTube

[jorym24]

Im planning to buy an EV din. Ok ba ang BYD Philippines? Andami kasing nagrerecommend ng BYD Seagull kasi affordable and low cost lang daw ung maintenance nya.

[ale828]

Im planning to buy an EV din. Ok ba ang BYD Philippines? Andami kasing nagrerecommend ng BYD Seagull kasi affordable and low cost lang daw ung maintenance nya.

BYD is probably Chinas biggest car manufacturer.
If Japan has Toyota, China has BYD.

BYD phil is under AC motors (Ayala), its basically headed by one of the younger Ayalas.
The head of Ayala Jaime Zobel has and drives a BYD Tang.

EV has virtually minimal maintenance and very minimal cost. No oils to refill. Less than half what you usually spend in ICE cars.
Their PMS is checking the computer, the Battery, brakes, Coolant if need ng top up.

[jorym24]

Ohh seems like it's a good brand pla talaga. I have seen a lot of good reviews din. I also checked the specs of BYD Seagull here bydcarsphilippines.com and I can say that it's worth the price. I'm probably leaning toward buying the car na.

[bxr monkey]

Though tied ang AC Motors sa Ayala. Supposedly stable. Oppurtunistic din business model, kung ano ang uso. Brands and models come and go. Sa VW ni allow nila PH maging dumping ground ng dieselgate models. Though pabor naman sa VW fans since global model... salungat lang sa projected clean image. Hopefully sa EV push, i follow through din nila sa charging network build up. Hindi lang within Ayala properties.

[Vodka]

[Verbl Kint]

The AC issue of the Seagull is basically the battery needing more cooling. The car diverts cooling intended for the passengers to the battery first. This can be from 15 to 30 minutes. After that, AC is back to normal.

[LOLZ]

The AC issue of the Seagull is basically the battery needing more cooling. The car diverts cooling intended for the passengers to the battery first. This can be from 15 to 30 minutes. After that, AC is back to normal.

Is the AC based cooling in the BYDs unlike teslas that could do both simultaneously or is the AC just undersized to do both under highway driving conditions? Either way it would make the vehicle unfit for our environment if that's the case especially if the problematic unit is doing this in november where temps are lower. It also does not bode well for towing/fast charging/track use where the battery will be outputting alot of heat.

[dr. d]

The AC issue of the Seagull is basically the battery needing more cooling. The car diverts cooling intended for the passengers to the battery first. This can be from 15 to 30 minutes. After that, AC is back to normal.

yikes!
scratch seagull from my list, then.
i guess that leaves me with the toyota...
ah seigh... is the ertiga coding-free? kasi, i get mixed answers...
i am looking for headache-free, coding-free vehicle.

[Verbl Kint]

Is the AC based cooling in the BYDs unlike teslas that could do both simultaneously or is the AC just undersized to do both under highway driving conditions? Either way it would make the vehicle unfit for our environment if that's the case especially if the problematic unit is doing this in november where temps are lower. It also does not bode well for towing/fast charging/track use where the battery will be outputting alot of heat.

Teslas are worse off actually since the HVAC itself actually fails. Quite a few complaints posted on Reddit and on other boards.

The Seagull at least gets cold again. Charging is also up to 40 kW only, which is quite slow for DC charging. In terms of aircon complaints, it's typically either on a highway during a hot day or in an open parking area.

The issue didn't seem to be as prevalent on other BYD models, though.

[Verbl Kint]

yikes!
scratch seagull from my list, then.
i guess that leaves me with the toyota...
ah seigh... is the ertiga coding-free? kasi, i get mixed answers...
i am looking for headache-free, coding-free vehicle.

I think the Seagull is actually a pretty good deal. The aircon thing won't be a big issue if you have covered parking or if you have a light foot on highways. It's a great city car. The FB groups seem to be really happy.

There are other alternatives, of course, like the Vinfast VF3 or the Dongfeng Nanobox (both under 700k) -- just avoid the ones with tires under 15 inches in the less than ₱900k price range.

[dr. d]

I think the Seagull is actually a pretty good deal. The aircon thing won't be a big issue if you have covered parking or if you have a light foot on highways. It's a great city car. The FB groups seem to be really happy.

There are other alternatives, of course, like the Vinfast VF3 or the Dongfeng Nanobox (both under 700k) -- just avoid the ones with tires under 15 inches in the less than ₱900k price range.

i confess, my seagull review is from internet literature. that so-called aircon issue is a dealbreaker for me. and i have yet to get in one of them and see how i fit.
there's this new taxi company, exclusively using vinfast EVs. distinctive aqua color. i shall await their fearless feedback.

[ale828]

Test drive it first Doc.
take the Internet reviews and news with a grain of salt.
i know someone who is over 6 ft tall and drives a Seagull.
Ok naman yung space thou kailagan daw medyo sagad yung drivers seats.

In the end.
Test drive it.
its what i always tell people who asks about EV.
Test drive it.

[GTcervan]

Parang mini lambo na hb etong seagull pag tiningnan sa labas lol. Tapos yung dolphin naman reminiscent ng honda.

[LOLZ]

Teslas are worse off actually since the HVAC itself actually fails. Quite a few complaints posted on Reddit and on other boards.

The Seagull at least gets cold again. Charging is also up to 40 kW only, which is quite slow for DC charging. In terms of aircon complaints, it's typically either on a highway during a hot day or in an open parking area.

The issue didn't seem to be as prevalent on other BYD models, though.

Yikes that(tesla) is even worse although upon some additional reading i'm not even sure our Seagull variant even involves the AC system in its battery thermal management as it seems that europe-bound model's user manual seems to suggest that AC-Chilled liquid cooling may not be standard across all models and we have the slowest DC charging variant(30kW peak) while netherlands 65kW for the same size 30kWh battery pack but 85kW for the larger 42kWh unit and 40 kW charging for mexico with the 38 kWh pack

Philippines Brochure
Mexico brochure
Netherlands brochure


Taken from the Eu market Dolphin Surf's User Manual

[Verbl Kint]

i confess, my seagull review is from internet literature. that so-called aircon issue is a dealbreaker for me. and i have yet to get in one of them and see how i fit.
there's this new taxi company, exclusively using vinfast EVs. distinctive aqua color. i shall await their fearless feedback.

The Dongfeng Nammi is, for June, the current hot topic among EV groups since it's on promo for ₱998k (priced at ₱1.28M last month). It's more loaded than the Seagull, is also bigger, and can do 400+ km in one charge. Not many reviews but current owners have been very happy they got it, albeit at a higher initial SRP.

The Atto 2 is also coming in the the next quarter of the year and it should be under ₱1.4M, or maybe even less.

I do agree with an earlier post, that you should test drive and EV. Maybe go to the dealership nearest your home and just take their cheapest EV out for a spin - any brand, even the golf car sized ones.